Study: Recession, Recovery Unkind To Connecticut Jobs

It's Labor Day weekend and a Connecticut policy group is thinking about jobs. Connecticut Voices for Children released its 2006-2011 report on wage, unemployment and job sector trends for the recent recession and subsequent recovery Thursday.

It found some harrowing - but maybe unsurprising - results, including data showing the wage gap expanded in the state.

Policy fellow Kenny Feder said that is because the states' top earners are making more money, while less-skilled, lower income jobs are replacing middle-class jobs, like manufacturing.

"The largest growing sector is health care which pays less than manufacturing,” said Feder. "And the second largest growing sector that we saw was the accommodation and food services which has some of the worst wages in the state, you know, well below what you see in manufacturing."

The report also found Connecticut’s Black and Hispanic workers have not experienced an economic recovery.

Unemployment rates for this group have increased over the years reaching double digits, while the state’s overall unemployment rate stands at 8.9%.

Connecticut Voices said the best way to reverse the trend is to invest in education, particularly community colleges, which are important in training the work force for middle class jobs. The group also suggests the state increase the minimum wage to $10/hour.